Although this book can never replace (and doesn’t pretend to) the many excellent articles available on project management, the following findings might help you deal with the specific topic of planning and managing a Year 2000 project.
Without a doubt, the most difficult challenge that will confront you will be convincing people of the gravity of the Y2K issue. I’m guessing here, but I suspect that you’re not the person responsible for initiating projects, allocating resources, and generally spending the money. In fact, you might be several positions down the ladder, in which case the challenge of being taken seriously is even greater.
If you are “just a Visual Basic programmer” (no offense), you are faced with two alternatives. You can simply ignore the problem and hope that someone else within your organization deals with it. Or you can be proactive and at the forefront of bringing the issue to the attention of senior management. If you ignore the problem and it is not resolved, it is conceivable that the finger of blame could come pointing your way when the you-know-what hits the fan. On the other hand, if you choose to convey this problem to your superiors, it is possible that no end of recognition, praise, pay raises, and promotions will be showered upon you. In short, it’s your choice—you can be the villain or the hero.